Cornell Chicken

Recipe from Dr. Robert C. Baker

Adapted by Ali Slagle

Published Oct. 26, 2023

Cornell Chicken
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1 hour 5 minutes, plus 3 to 8 hours’ marinating
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour, plus 3 to 8 hours' marinating
Rating
4(438)
Comments
Read comments

Herbaceous, tangy, juicy and crisp-skinned, this chicken is a common grill staple at fairs, fundraisers and cookouts in central New York. The recipe was developed in the 1950s by Dr. Robert C. Baker, a professor of food and poultry science at Cornell University, as a way to get people to eat more chicken. (It’s hard to believe it now, but at the time, chickens were more valued for their eggs, not their meat.) To provide more flexibility and control, a few changes have been made to the original recipe, but the essentials remain: Marinate bone-in chicken in oil, vinegar, egg and poultry seasoning, then grill and baste with the same mixture. The egg gives the chicken a creamy coating that also keeps it from burning (much like mayonnaise). —Ali Slagle

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½cup vegetable oil
  • 1large egg
  • 2teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • 1½teaspoons poultry seasoning (for substitute, see Tip)
  • 1teaspoon black pepper
  • 3½ to 4pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

797 calories; 62 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 31 grams monounsaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 54 grams protein; 817 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl or reusable container, whisk together the vinegar, oil, egg, salt, poultry seasoning and black pepper until combined. Add the chicken, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for 3 to 8 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for two-zone cooking over medium-high heat. (For a charcoal grill, pour the coals on one side. For a gas grill, heat all burners covered on high, then reduce one burner to medium-high and turn off the other.) Clean the grates.

  3. Step 3

    Shake any dripping marinade off the chicken, add the chicken to the cool side of the grill and cover the grill. Every 5 minutes, baste the chicken with the marinade, flip it over and cover the grill. Repeat for 20 to 25 minutes, until pieces reach about 130 degrees. If using a charcoal grill, position the vent over the chicken.

  4. Step 4

    Move the chicken to the hot side of the grill. Flip and rotate often (no need to baste) until browned, crisp and cooked through, 10 to 20 minutes. If using a gas grill, cover the grill between flips. If flareups occur, move to the cool side. (Cook times will vary depending on sizes and cuts of chicken pieces, so check that the breast is at least 155 degrees and the dark meat at least 165 degrees in the thickest parts.) Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Tip
  • To make your own poultry seasoning, combine 1 ½ teaspoons dried sage, 1 teaspoon dried thyme or marjoram, and a grating of nutmeg.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
438 user ratings
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Comments

Nano

As a Cornell grad who spent many hours in Baker Hall (not sure it was named after Prof. Baker), I'd love to make this - and it sounds very tasty. But I live in a condo: no outdoor grill. Please advise me how to cook Cornell chicken in an ordinary oven.

Susan Ryhanen

I'm from upstate NY (originally) and we made this all the time. I always use raw chicken..if you parboil you lose lots of flavor....and the marinade doesn't permeate the chicken as well. The trick is a grill on low heat..and baste every 8 minutes with the marinade. Best grilled chicken ever!!

bnorth

Can this recipe be made successfully in a regular oven?

Eval

A western New Yorker here... yes, always use raw chicken and marinate overnight or at least for several hours. For decades firemen would tend a grill of Cornell chicken a block long at the Cornhill Arts Festival in Rochester. It was cooked low and slow and it was the perfect food to mark mid-summer on the first weekend following the 4th. Also, add 1 tablespoon honey and increase the poultry seasoning to 1 tablespoon.

Grace

I've made this often with a quarter cup of dijon for some spice and taste, no extra seasonings needed, and marinated overnight. It actually doesn't hurt the integrity of the chicken and when grilled, is crisp on the outside, juicy in the middle. I love making this in the summer.

andrsnr

It produced moist grilled chicken meat. This is one of only a few grilled chicken recipes I've made where the skin browns nicely and doesn't stick to the grill grate. The Poultry Seasoning flavor was kind of lost in the marinade. The second time I made this, I left the Poultry Seasoning out of the marinade and sprinkled it on the chicken skin just before I grilled it. I didn't baste it this time - the skin crisped nicely and the the Poultry Seasoning added a nice flavor.

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